I rode heaven then a section of misery last week. The misery, it was an eye-crossing piece of concrete torture that rendered me knock-kneed and gasping. Truly, I was savaged and spat out.
I am not sure which propelled me up this piece of wickedness more, fear or determination, but I conquered it.
What I am describing is a piece of road, that is a glorious climb, a near constant seven percent gradient for four kilometres, bottom half seal, top half metal, bush lined and quiet. It joins, via a short section of hike-a-bike, it's utter opposite.
Five hundred and sixty metres of concrete hell, averaging 15%, but with about 300 metres over 20% and hitting and holding 29%, it is several minutes of torture.
I rode it without stopping, but that was purely because I couldn't quite work out how to, without risking a skin/concrete interface.
When I got to the top, I had the world laid out before me, and I was spent.
Go and try it, but from my own painful experience a 39 x 26 is far too big a gear for that sort of stupidity.
Email me if you want directions.
And, with a finger prod in my direction, the friendly Amerikan sent this, something to render you agog!
Plains Milky Way from Randy Halverson on Vimeo.
